Most Americans don't understand travel insurance, study shows

Only half of Americans say they know what travel insurance covers, according to a study released yesterday by thepointsguy.com.

The statistic isn’t terribly surprising considering the study also found that only 21 percent of Americans purchase travel insurance at all, and only 7 percent of those purchase it regularly.

“Even people who purchase travel insurance don’t know exactly what they are buying and what it will cover,” Brian Kelly, “The Points Guy,” wrote on his website Wednesday.

The survey also found the most prominent reason Americans buy travel insurance is to cover their costs in the case of a cancellation, and only 37 percent of respondents actually think travel insurance is worth their money.

“As more and more mainstream travelers venture farther afield to corners of the globe that were once inaccessible more and more of us are going to be considering travel insurance,” Kelly wrote, “it’s important to know what’s out there.”